Privacy Policy
Last Updated: March 10, 2026
Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy describes how Dating4u ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you use our website at dating4u.net and related services. By accessing Dating4u, you agree to the practices described in this policy. We encourage you to read this document carefully so you understand exactly how your information is handled.
1. Who We Are and How to Contact Us
Dating4u is an international dating platform connecting American men with verified Balkan women for serious, long-term relationships. We serve users across the United States and the Balkan region, including Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.
Because our platform serves users in EU member states - specifically Slovenia and Croatia - we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for those users. For users in EU candidate countries (Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania), we apply equivalent data protection standards as a commitment to transparency and trust.
2. What Personal Data We Collect
We collect several categories of personal data to provide, improve, and secure our dating services. Below is a detailed breakdown of what we gather and why.
Account Data
- Email address and phone number (for account creation and verification)
- Date of birth (to verify you meet our 18+ age requirement)
- Password (stored in encrypted form)
Profile Information
- Gender and gender preference
- Profile photos and optional video introductions
- Personal interests, hobbies, and relationship goals
- Cultural background and language preferences
- Bio text and self-descriptions
Technical Data
- IP address, browser type, and operating system
- Device identifiers (device ID, advertising ID)
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see our Cookie Policy)
- Referral URLs and page interaction data
Geolocation Data
- Approximate location derived from your IP address
- Precise location if you grant permission through your device settings
Usage Data
- Activity logs - profiles viewed, messages sent, search queries
- Feature interaction and session duration
- Communication records within the platform (chat messages)
Sensitive data such as religious affiliation or ethnic origin may be voluntarily provided by you in your profile. This information requires your explicit consent before processing.
3. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data
We process your personal data based on four legal grounds recognized under applicable data protection laws, including GDPR for users in Slovenia and Croatia.
Contract Performance
Processing is necessary to fulfill our agreement with you - creating your account, displaying your profile to potential matches, facilitating communication, and delivering the core dating service you signed up for.
Legitimate Interest
We process certain data to protect platform security, prevent fraud and fake profiles, improve our matching algorithms, and conduct internal analytics. We balance these interests against your fundamental rights and freedoms.
Your Consent
For sensitive personal data (such as religious beliefs or ethnic background), precise geolocation tracking, and marketing communications, we rely on your explicit, freely given consent. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at [email protected].
Legal Obligation
We may process and retain certain data to comply with tax regulations, law enforcement requests, court orders, or other legal requirements applicable in relevant jurisdictions.
4. How We Share Your Information
We never sell your personal data. We may share limited information with the following categories of third parties only when necessary:
- Service providers - hosting, cloud storage, email delivery, and payment processing partners who act on our behalf under strict data processing agreements
- Analytics partners - to understand usage patterns and improve platform performance (data is aggregated and anonymized where possible)
- Profile verification services - third-party identity verification tools used to confirm user authenticity and prevent scams
- Law enforcement and regulators - only when required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users
- Corporate transactions - in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale, your data may be transferred to the successor entity under equivalent protections
All third parties who access your data are contractually obligated to protect it and use it solely for the purposes we specify.
5. Your Rights Regarding Personal Data
Depending on your location and applicable laws, you have the following rights concerning your personal information. EU/EEA users (Slovenia, Croatia) have these rights under GDPR; we extend equivalent protections to all users.
Right of Access
You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to Rectification
You can update or correct inaccurate personal data at any time through your account settings or by emailing us.
Right to Erasure
You can request deletion of your personal data. Upon account closure, we will delete your data subject to the retention periods outlined below.
Right to Data Portability
You can request your data in a machine-readable format to transfer it to another service provider.
Right to Restrict Processing
You can ask us to limit how we use your data while a complaint or request is being reviewed.
Right to Object
You can object to data processing based on legitimate interest, including profiling and direct marketing.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. EU/EEA users may also file a complaint with their local data protection authority.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Below is a summary of our retention periods:
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Active account data | Duration of account activity |
| Profile and content data | Deleted upon account closure |
| Transaction and payment records | 10 years (tax compliance) |
| Customer support records | 6 years after resolution |
| Safety and security data (post-closure) | 3 months |
| Banned account records | 1 year after ban |
| Consent records | 5 years |
| Inactive accounts | Auto-closed after 2 years of inactivity |
After the applicable retention period, data is permanently deleted or fully anonymized so it can no longer identify you.
7. Protection of Minors
18+ Only
Dating4u is strictly limited to users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. Age verification is required during registration.
If we discover that a user under 18 has created an account, we will immediately suspend the account and permanently delete all associated data. If you believe a minor is using Dating4u, please report it immediately to [email protected] or use the in-platform reporting feature. We take every report seriously and investigate promptly.
8. How We Protect Your Data
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to safeguard your personal information, including:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your device and our servers
- Encrypted storage for passwords and sensitive account credentials
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
- Anti-fraud and anti-scam monitoring systems
While no online platform can guarantee absolute security, we continuously invest in protecting your data and respond swiftly to any potential incidents.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or platform features. When we make material changes, we will notify you via email or an in-platform notice at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates the most recent revision.
10. Contact Us About Your Privacy
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please reach out to us:
Email: [email protected]
Subject Line: Privacy Inquiry - [Your Account Email]
Response Time: Within 30 days of receiving your request
For users in the European Union (Slovenia, Croatia), you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data has been processed unlawfully.
By using Dating4u, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and earning your trust - because meaningful relationships start with transparency. Learn more about our platform values on our About Us page, or review our Terms & Conditions for the full legal framework governing your use of Dating4u.